Psoriasis does not have a predictable course, so it is impossible to predict whether a particular person will improve or worsen over time. For people with known triggers that exacerbate their disease, exposure to these factors, such as stress, may predict worsening, while reduction of thesetriggers could predict stabilization or improvement.
In a study of 5,600 patients conducted at Stanford University in 1974, slightly over half the people had experienced at least one period of time when their psoriasis was completely healed (in remission). In this group, the remission period lasted an average of 5 months. (For the purposes of this study, remission was defined as an absence of psoriasis without treatment.) Of those people, over 95% saw their psoriasis return within 6 months to 2 years.
Over time, a person’s psoriasis can behave in different ways, but people appear to adapt more easily to these changes after years with the disease. Sufferers may find that flares or changes are easier to deal with after they’ve identified effective treatments and routines for their skin.